Our Story...
How 72 Failed Prototypes and One Life Threatening Beach Walk Created Australia's Most-Loved Dog Leash
G'day, I'm Marcus. And in 2018, my best mate Blue nearly died of heat stroke because I'm an idiot
It was 38°C in Burleigh Heads, GC and I'd forgotten the water bottle on the kitchen bench (again). We were 2ks from home when Blue collapsed on the sand. Luckily our vet was just around the corner. I ran as fast as possible with him in my arms. He was barely breathing when we arrived, and they said they didn't know if they could save him... The emergency bill was $2,400 but we didn't care. After 4 hours of heart breaking waiting room stress thank God Blue survived. Just watching him on that IV drip made me stop.
That day I made a single promise: That no dog will ever have to go through this again.
That night, I stayed up until 5am, bought every dog leash with "hydration system" in the description and they were ALL garbage. Leaked in my ute. Fell apart after two weeks and looked like medical equipment. Blue hated them all.
So... I did what any rational person would do in this situation...
I quit my engineering job to design the perfect dog leash so no dog owner or dog has to go through what we did on that life changing day.
My wife Sarah thought I'd lost it. "It's just a leash, Marc."
But it wasn't. Not to the 4.6 million Aussie dog owners juggling water bottles, poop bags, treats, bowls and coffee every morning. Not to the parents pushing prams with one hand while their Staffy pulls in the opposite direction. Not to the elderly bloke at New Farm Park who told me his arthritis made carrying everything impossible. Not to Blue, who almost died without it...
Here's what happened on my adventure...
73 Failures, Each One a Lesson
Prototype #1-15: Water storage that turned your leash into a 2kg dumbbell. Blue looked at me like I was wacko...
Prototype #16-34: Finally got the weight right. Then discovered sand + mechanical parts = expensive paperweight. The beach killed seven versions in one weekend!
Prototype #35-52: The "everything holder" phase. Looked like a utility belt had a baby with a leash. Sarah laughed. Blue refused to walk.
Prototype #53-67: So close. Water worked. Bags dispensed. Then my mate's Rottweiler yanked it once. Explosion of parts across the café, and a 2 year old hound on the loos!
Prototype #68-72: Everything worked except... it was ugly. super ugly. "Medical equipment" ugly. No one wanted to be seen with it.
Then Came The Last Idea #73 - The Quad Pro-Max
January 2022. At the parents on Noosa Main Beach. 6am.
Blue was in the shallow tide. I'm holding coffee, his ball, my phone, and realise I've got no bags. Again. A lovely older lady offers me one, says "Happens to all of us, dear."
That's when it clicked. We're ALL struggling with the same thing.
The Quad Pro-Max wasn't about adding features. It was about hiding them. Making them invisible until needed. Beautiful enough that you'd actually want to use it.
- 350ml water reservoir - but you can't see it
- 15-bag dispenser - completely hidden
- Collapsible bowl - clips on only when needed
- Waste hook - tucked away but always there
- 1.5m leash- Up to 55kg pull strength
- Military-grade materials - because Blue's a destroyer!
In the first week with the final version five people stopped me asking where to buy one.
Sarah stopped laughing at me, and started laughing with me as she joined in on the mission...
So! From My TINY Garage in Burleigh to 47,000 Happy Dogs!!!
We launched with 100 leashes, thinking they'd last months.
Gone in 4 days.
Lucy from Cairns wrote: "My Frenchie has breathing issues. The water access saved him during summer. You have no idea what this means."
Dave from Perth messaged: "73yo with arthritis. Your leash gave me my morning walks back. Charlie says thanks."
Emma from Melbourne messaged: "Twin toddlers, two Beagles, these leashes! Can hold snacks in 1 and water in the other. You're a genius."
We weren't trying to revolutionise dog walking. We just wanted to make it less sh*t.
Why Every Leash Personally Matters To Me & Blue
Every Coconut Leash gets approved by one of our team members (me or Sarah) before shipping. Blue tests the new batches (tough gig, but someone's got to).
When your leash helps your old dog enjoy walks again, we might tear up a bit. And when your young pup gets the best walking experience and never has to worry about heat stroke for the rest of their lives, we know we've succeeded...
We've turned down Petbarn twice. Could've made millions. But then we'd have to cut corners, use cheaper materials, become another corporate pet brand.
Nah. We'd rather stay small, stay Aussie, and keep every promise we make.
Your Dog Deserves This (And So Do You)
Whether you've got a tiny Maltese in Toorak or a massive Mastiff in Townsville, the struggle's the same. The forgotten bags. The spilled water. The juggling act. The guilt when you cut walks short because you're not prepared.
The Coconut Quad Leash ends all of that.
Not because it's revolutionary or anything. Because it's obvious. Everything you need, nothing you don't, in one good-looking leash that'll outlast your dog.
Blue's 16 now. Still uses prototype #73 daily. Still hasn't managed to destroy it (and mate, he's tried!)
Join 47,000 Aussie Dog Families
Look, I know it's just a dog leash. But sometimes the small things make the biggest difference.
Every morning when Blue sees me grab his Coconut Leash, his tail goes mental. Not because of the leash... because he knows we're fully prepared for whatever adventure we find. Beach, bush, coffee, run, doesn't matter.
We're ready.
That's all we wanted. To be ready. To stop forgetting things. To actually enjoy our walks instead of stressing about them.
Three years. 73 prototypes. One promise to a dog who life nearly got taken away.
Now it's yours for less than a tank of petrol.
Marcus, Sarah & Blue
Founders, Coconut Leash
Still in Burleigh, still walking every morning
P.S. Sarah made me remove the bit about crying when Blue was in hospital. But yeah, I proper cried. You would too.